Electrical control cabinets having switching devices mounted therein are well-known in the art. The known control cabinets include a housing and a door mounted to said housing. Switching devices are mounted in the control cabinet housing. To be able to operate the switches of the switching devices in a control cabinet that is closed, the doors have switches mounted thereon which are operatively connected via shafts or axles to the switching devices in the control cabinet. The switch operating movements and positions are transmitted by the shafts to the rotary operating mechanisms of the switching device in the control cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,903 describes the construction of a control cabinet having an operating mechanism. This control cabinet is well-known in the art. To be able to operate the switching device even when the door is open, it is proposed to provide an auxiliary lever, which is mounted in the control cabinet housing on the shaft that transmits the force of the external operating lever to the switching device. If the switching device is turned off before the door is opened, it can be turned on again at any time using the auxiliary lever. There is no safeguard to prevent the switching device from being inadvertently turned on while the control cabinet is open.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,071,427 describes an auxiliary handle which is mounted on a shaft of the switching device and is rotatable in the OFF direction, while in the ON direction, it requires an additional movement to be carried out in the direction of extension of the axis of the shaft. Here, the problem of inadvertent turn-on is solved by an additional movement of the auxiliary handle in the axial direction. However, the solution described is very complex and the mass of the auxiliary handle is increased by the coupling means required. Among other things, this has a negative effect on the bearings in the rotary operating mechanism, because the weight bends the shaft downward.
German document DE 41 34 799 describes operating a switching device mounted in a control cabinet by means of an externally mounted push switch. The force applied by operating the push switch is transmitted by a Bowden cable to a pressing means on the switching device. There are no safety mechanisms to prevent inadvertent turn-on.
German document DE 100 58 420 describes a Bowden cable operated locking device in a control cabinet.